Flamingo Flowers, Finches and Formal Leeks

Gorgeous small birds that for once are easy to identify in the Wildlife in Focus segment with Dr holly Parsons, growing leeks in vegetable heroes, a new series on garden styles in Design Elements and today is what makes a formal style and what is Anthuriums in the Talking Flower segment.

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

Double Barred Finch

Small birds are notoriously hard to identify because (a) they’re small, (b) they’re incredibly fast and shy and lastly, they’re usually just a variation on brown.
Not so this next bird which has easily distinguished facial markings and is Perhaps you can spot one after listening to this. Described as having an owlish face, although in miniature, and with beautifully spotted wings.

I'm talking with Dr Holly Parsons from www.birdsinbackyards.net
Let’s find out

Incredibly gorgeous little bird with a striking white face.

Like a miniature barn owl because of the markings. 

For once, not just a little brown bird that's hard to identify; this one has distinctive features which apart from the white face, the barring on the feathers stands out also.

Prefer drier regions.

Hanging around in flocks you’re bound not to mistake them for something else because they would make a spectacular sight.
If you have any questions either for me or for Holly, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Leeks

Leeks, known scientifically as Allium ampeloprasum var. Porrum, are related to garlic, onions, shallots, and scallions.
There’s nothing like a good long history that some vegetables seem to have and the Leek is no exception.

Leeks are supposed to be native to Central Asia, and have been cultivated there and in Europe for thousands of years.

Did you know that Leeks were prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans because of their supposed beneficial effect upon the throat.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle thought that the clear voice of the partridge was due to a diet of leeks, while the Roman emperor Nero supposedly ate leeks everyday to make his voice stronger.

• Another interesting fact that you might not know is that the leek became a Welsh emblem in 1536, and is still the national emblem of Wales.
• Daffodil is the National flower.

Have you ever wonder why Welsh are such great singers?

Perhaps because they eat a lot of leeks, think Tom Jones.

Onions, celery, and carrots are very good companion plants for the leek.

Leeks, are a cool season crop and best of all they’re easy to grow.

You can grow leeks in hot summers, but you won’t get the same quality result as you will in a cool summer environment.

I know I’ve tried and they were a thinner weaker version of the winter leek.

Leeks are usually grown from seed and are generally started off in punnets first then transplanted.

When to Sow

• Sow the seeds of Leeks from Spring until the end of Autumn in cool temperate climates, and late summer and autumn in warm and tropical zones, and in arid districts, seeds must be sown in February/early March and then you can transplant them in April and May.
• I sowed some seed a several weeks ago and have already transplanted them into the veggie bed because they were a couple of inches-about 10cm high and were the thickness of a pencil.

TIP: By the way, the seeds germinated fine from an out of date packet.

Leeks will overwinter in cool temperate areas of Australia if properly mulched, but will generally not survive periods of extreme cold.

In case you don’t know what a leek is.

Leeks look like large fat spring onions, but have a very small bulb and a long white cylindrical stalk of layers of white then green, tightly wrapped, flat leaves.

It goes without saying that good soil is the key to growing leeks.

Leeks need nutrient rich, well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.

They’ll do well in almost any garden soil as long as it is well aerated and deep, about a spade’s depth is good.

Using some kind of dibble tool or stick to make a hole that's just deep enough to leave only the top inch of the seedling exposed.

Set the leek seedling into the hole and fill it loosely with soil.

Space the leeks 10cm or a large hand span" apart, in rows at least 25cm  or from your wrist to your elbow apart.

Find something practical like that to do you estimates.

Some people think that when growing Leeks the aim is to blanch the stems while the plants are maturing.

To save your back if you want to blanch the stems, rather than digging a trench, just use mulch.

When they’re 4 weeks old in the veggie bed, use a thick mulch of sugar cane or something like that.

In another 4 weeks or when they reach about 24cm, do the same again, or you can use shredded newspaper.

The leeks will still grow as well if you don’t do any of this.

• Some gardeners cut off the top portion of the leaves, about halfway up the plant, as the leeks are maturing.
• This supposed to bring on stalk growth, giving you a larger leek for the dinner table.

To be honest you can do all this, but if you don’t the leeks are just as tasty.

Make sure the plants get at least a couple of cm’s of water a week; otherwise the stems will be tough to eat.

Mulch to conserve moisture, and side-dress with manure tea once a month.

• Begin harvesting leeks as soon as they're big enough to use.
• Young, tender ones are good raw; once they reach the width of a paper roll, they're better cooked.
• They usually take 16-18 weeks--4 ½ months.

Quite a long time so explains why they are so expensive at the greengrocer, market or wherever you buy them.

To prepare Leeks cut them very thinly and sautee’ just as you would other members of the onion family.

 Like their allium cousins, onions and garlic, let leeks sit for at least 5 minutes after cutting and before cooking to enhance their health-promoting qualities.

Why are they good for you?

Good source of dietary fibre also a top source of vitamin C

Leeks have a high concentration of the B vitamin folate

Leeks give you small amounts of other minerals and vitamins.

The green tops have some beta carotene which your body can make into vitamin A.

Like onions, they also have some sulphur compounds that scientists believe reduce your risk of some health problems.

Leeks are believed to be good for the throat.

Leeks are low in calories and fat-free. 100g of leek has just 125kJ.

AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS
Formal gardens have a long history.
Did you know that the style of a formal garden started in the Persian Gardens in Iran, such as the Monastery Gardens from the Late Middle Ages?

This style was sort of carried over into the Italian Gardens from the Renaissance that’s the 1400’s and was further refined into the formal French Gardens from the Baroque period which was around 1650.
Let’s find out what this style has to offer.

I'm talking with Danielle Collier from Artistic Horticulture.

Formal style is all about straight lines, no clutter, repeated plantings with as much symmetry as you can stuff into your garden.
Add a water feature or two and some espalier or topiary, and voila’ you have a formal garden.

TALKING FLOWERS

Anthurium andreanum: Anthuriums

Common names:Anthurium Flamingo Flower, Boy Flower, Painted Tongue and Painter's Palette

The anthurium flower derives its name from two Greek words: oura, meaning tail and anthos, meaning flower. Translated the phrase means tail flower.

Anthuriums are evergreen subtropical plants with heart shaped leaves. Similar flowers to the Madonna or Peace lily.

Botanical Bite:

These flowers are really modified bracts, called spathes.

The actual flower of the anthurium plant are tiny blooms that line the fleshy inner spike called a spadix.

In their natural environment, Anthuriums grow on rocks or trees and in the home or garden need perfect drainage around their roots.

An ideal mix is equal parts of premium potting mix and decomposed sugarcane and plants in a terracotta pot.

 Too much water in winter suffocates the roots and causes them to rot, so let plants go dry in between each drink.

Flower vase life is up to 8 weeks if you look after them properly!

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini of www.flowersbymercedes.com.au

Video recorded during live broadcast of Real World Gardener.

Borage, Ginger and Geraniums Make A Garden Great

Have you grown Borage? The Spice It Up segment will tell you how to use it. Growing ginger is easy in vegetable heroes, Modern garden styles in Design Elements old fashioned Geraniums in the Talking Flower segment.

SPICE IT UP

Borage: Borago officinalis

Summer’s over but some plants keep going to mid-winter.
Regarded as a herb, this next plant is not available in the herb and spice section of your supermarket.
You can find it in the herb section of some garden centres possibly.

Borage leaves and flowers: photo M Cannon

Perhaps you’ve grown it for the bright blue flowers and not really taken much notice of how else you can use this herb.
Let’s find out.

I'm talking with Ian Hemphill

Borage leaves are rather hairy and don't look appetising at all.

You may have never wondered about using the leaves in cooking before.

But now you know to eat the leaves of Borage. 

Just chop them finely into soups and sauces. 

Make a Borage and Potato soup

Ian recalls a soup his mother made that had potatoes, cauliflower and finely chopped Borage leaves.

• Saute' a big handful of young finely chopped borage leaves in butter, add 500ml of light chicken stock and a peeled, chopped potato. Cook until potato is soft, then use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning and serve with borage flowers.

Just delicious served cold on hot days.

• Another tip is to freeze borage flowers in ice cubes. 

Then when served in drinks you have the beautiful and sweet borage flower any time you want.

Growing Borage:

The best time to sow though in many districts is Spring because it’s best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C. 

The seeds germinate easily and once in your garden, will happily self sow.

But it's nor really weedy because the seedlings that emerge are quite soft and easy to pull out.

Borage seeds are also loved by chickens.
If you’ve never grown Borage before, now’s the time to start.
Not suitable for indoors but possibly OK in large pots as it’s a tall plant.
If you have any questions either for me or for Ian, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Ginger! Zingiber officianale

FAMILY: Zingiberaceae along with Turmeric and cardamom.

Have you ever wondered about growing edible ginger?

Ginger rhizome

For years I’ve wondered about growing the real deal ginger.
Of all the times I’ve bought the nobbly brown root, it’s never sprouted until now.
Probably because now I’ve bought organic ginger that’s not sprayed with stuff to prevent it from sprouting-some sort of growth retardant usually.
Now I’ve got two bits sprouting!
Before those of you in cooler climates get put off, I daresay, my own climate zone is a bit out of its range, but I’m growing it in a pot and so can you.
Indoors if we have to.

For those of you who don’t have a piece of sprouting ginger, mail order garden catalogues supply pieces of ginger that are sprouting between July and September usually. I’ll put links on my website and facebook. www.greenharvest.com.au

• Ginger root is actually a rhizome.

Ginger is native to south China, but it was the Arabs who spread it around the globe by carrying rhizomes on their voyages to East Africa to plant at coastal settlements and on Zanzibar.

.

So what is Ginger? What does it look like already?

It’s a herbaceous perennial which grows annual stems about a meter or 1 ½ m tall with narrow green leaves and insignificant greeny-yellow flowers.

The leaves are much narrower than Canna leaves, and look more like the leaves of bamboo.

They’re also a very dark green.

Zingibar officianale or ginger is a tropical plant as you’d expect so it doesn’t like frost, waterlogged soil direct sun and high winds.

But if you’ve got a sheltered area, maybe on your back veranda, and rich moist soil, or some good stuff potting mix, you can get by growing ginger.

If you’ve also got warmer weather and high humidity you definitely can grow ginger.

From reading garden forums on the web, ginger does well in the ground in temperate climates as well.

For most of us, growing ginger will mean growing it in pots.

• If you’ve only got one sprouting rhizome, put it into a 20cm pot, if you have 3 put them in together into a large 35cm pot.

You can also add one part of good compost to two parts potting mix, and that’s going to add some nutrients as well.

For those gardens with tropical or sub-tropical climates you can put that piece of sprouting ginger straight into the garden after you dug in a spadeful of compost. 

That should be good enough.

Put in your piece of ginger about 5cm below the soil surface.

Remember, filtered sunlight not direct sun for the position.

For cooler climates, your ginger plant can take full sun because it won’t be as intense for the most part as in the tropics.

Near a north facing wall is ideal so the plant can get reflected heat.

If it gets too hot in summer, move the pot into semi-shade if you can.

Also, for cooler districts, move it inside at the first signs of cold weather and don’t water it too much.

• The best planting time is late winter/early spring, but if you’ve got a piece sprouting now, don’t waste an opportunity to garden, put it in anyway.
• Ginger grows quite slowly and doesn’t mind being a little bit root bound if it’s in a pot.

A good thing about Ginger is that it won’t overtake your garden, because, it’s slow growing and after all, you’re going to be digging it up every year to harvest the rhizomes for your cooking.

Drying out will most likely set the plant back quite a bit, and even cark it so in hot weather keep up the water supply.

• To supply humidity for arid climates, you’ll have to get out there with the spray bottle and spray it when you think of it, hopefully every day.

For those growing ginger in the ground, add plenty of mulch to keep the ground moist.

Ginger growing in pots will need fortnight feeds of liquid fertiliser if you haven’t added any controlled release or organic slow release fertilisers to the mix before planting.

Now the most important question, when can you dig it up?

All books will say the best time to dig up your ginger plant is when all the long green leaves have died down, 8 – 10 months after you’ve planted it.

This is easy if you’ve been growing it in a pot, because you can tip the whole thing over and just pull it out.

• For areas where ginger growing is out of its range, you might be best to leave it for a couple of years for the rhizome to build up in size before tipping it out.

Break up the rhizomes into smaller useable pieces and either store it in the freezer, or my tip is, put the pieces into some Chinese cooking wine or sherry in a resealable jar and place it in the fridge.

Doing it this way keeps it fresh for quite a few months.

Don’t forget to replant some rhizomes for your next years’ crop of ginger if you’ve been successful that is.

Why is Ginger Good for You?

Ginger is said to stimulate gastric juices, and provide warming and soothing effects for colds and coughs.

Ginger is an excellent natural remedy for nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness and general stomach upset due to its carminative effect that helps break up and expel intestinal gas.

Ginger tea has been recommended to alleviate nausea in chemotherapy patients mainly because its natural properties don’t interact in a negative way with other medications.

Ginger is a very good source of nutrients and essential vitamins.

It is also a good source of minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and copper.

Ginger also has Calcium Carbohydrate  Dietary Fibre  Iron Magnesium and Manganese, but wait there’s more.

Potassium Protein Selenium Sodium Vitamin C, E and B6

Many thanks to the tropical permaculture group for providing some of the growing information.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

The Modern Garden Style

Modern garden style is not a new phenomena and is in fact nearly a hundred years old.
The word ‘modern’ gives us the wrong idea because modern is used to describe something that’s recent.
Perhaps the landscapers association or group should consider changing the style that it represents.
Any ideas?

Let’s find out what this style has to offer.

Perhaps you’ve inherited a modern garden with wide concrete paths and river pebbles in the garden beds.
Most likely though the modern house of post world war II is becoming a thing of the past.
Still the principles of the modern garden are useful, sticking to primary colours and architectural plants. 

In the photo Cycads provide the architectural plants and kangaroo paws add the primary colours.
If you have any questions either for me Danielle why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

TALKING FLOWERS

Geraniums: Pelargonium hybrids

Common geraniums belong to the genus Pelargonium(280 spp), while true geraniums belong to the genus Geranium. (422 species).

Family Geraniaceae.

The name geranium comes from a Greek work geranos, which basically means crane.

True Geraniums are called Cranesbills because of the shape of the fruit capsule?

Most geraniums are native to southern Africa, but some species originated in Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East

While both genera were originally classified as geraniums, in 1789 the two genus were separated.

 

These types of Geraniums are really Pelargoniums

Confused? The common name geranium is used to describe Pelargoniums and Geraniums.

Geranium flowers have five very similar petals, and are thus radially symmetrical (actinomorphic), whereas Pelargonium flowers have two upper petals which are different from the three lower petals, so the flowers have a single plane of symmetry.

When we think of Geraniums, window boxes, and potted gardens comes first to mind.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini from www.flowersbymercedes.com.au

Recording live during the broadcast of Real World Gardener radio show on 2RRR 88.5 fm Wednesdays at 5pm.

Cucumber Family, Possums, Federation Gardens and Hypericum

We’re focusing on fungal diseases that lurk in the veggie patch in Plant Doctor, are there solutions for deterring possums in vegetable heroes, a new series on garden styles in Design Elements and today is what makes the Federation style and what is Hypericum in the Talking Flower segment.

PLANT DOCTOR

Fungal Problems of Cucurbits: Cucumbers, Zucchini, Squash, Pumpkin, Watermelons and Rockmelons.

You might think that it’s only hot and humid weather that brings out this particular fungus to the fore.
But no, not only is this fungal problem not host specific, but it can blight your plants, both edible and ornamental during a wide temperature range.
Why is that? You might ask.

Powdery Mildew on Cucumber Leaves

Let’s find out
I'm talking with Steve Falcioni from www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au

Powdery mildew is the main fungal disease affecting cucurbits. It looks like a white coating over the leaves and stems of the plants.

Powdery mildew has an effective temperature range of 10 – 30 C and can attack just about everything in the vegetable garden as well as your annual flowers or perennials such as Dahlias. 

Preventative spraying is best if you have it year after year especially as spores can germinate in some districts all year round.
There’s plenty of preventative treatments, some homemade, others commercial. 

• Full cream milk works best in sunny weather. Bi-carbonate of soda works reasonably well.
• Sulphur can be used but it will burn the plants on hot days and also kill off any beneficial insects.

The best solution is Potassium bi-carbonate which is sold as eco-fungicide.

 Under a microscope, potassium bi-carbonate affectively kills off the fungus in 5 minutes.

• You may find that rotating your choice of treatment gives you the best results with this fungal problem.

If you have any questions either for me or for Steve, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES:

Possum Deterrents

This weeks it’s “Is that a possum eating my plants?”

I thought this segment could be about what people thought worked in their garden to deter possums.

Are you plagued with larger critters making a meal out of your vegetable garden, roses, ornamental shrubs, the list is endless?

• Perhaps you’ve tried hanging some blood and bone in old stockings around your plant in the belief that possums hate the smell?
• Maybe you tried mothballs instead of the blood and bone.

Ringtail Possum

Colleen says “ The most effective thing I did find was mothballs, I made up little bags out of netting and put five in each then pinned them everywhere.”

• What about sensor spotlights? Did you try that?

Gardens don’t even have to be big because courtyards aren’t immune either, especially if you’re growing strawberry plants, and other delicious veggies.

Some suggest decoy plants, and then there’s the ultimate netted off area.

One listener writes,

• I have battled with possums eating our eight ornamental grape vines that cover our pergolas the last two years.
• Since our last dog passed away. I have tried everything, and I mean everything.
• Some things work for a couple of days, some not at all.
• I have now completely netted them in the hope that they will be able to stand a fighting chance of getting some leaves this year.
• The possums are not interested in the leaves once they are older only when they are new shoots.
• My question is though are there any really prolific vines, suitable to grow on a sturdy fence that possums absolutely love.
• I have decided that possibly the best thing to do is plant something that would entice them to not even come near the house.
• I have three of our forty acres fenced and gardened, so could put it a fair distance away from the house.

I know snail vines grow crazy, but I don’t know if possums like them. Not Really

My husband wouldn’t allow wisteria, we have had a really bad experience with one in the past.

I am located around Moruya south coast NSW, we can get a few pretty harsh frosts in winter, had a couple of -3 this year but I could plant in a fairly protected area also.

Banksia roses are a good suggestion here.

Plastic Rings

The best suggestion was to instead have big plastic rings/“tubes” around the legs on the pergola and the vine verticals so they can’t climb up.

It’s the only thing that has allowed some leaves to grow on the vine.

 Has to be incredibly tight though. 

If there's a little gap  would squeeze through.

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney use this method to protect their trees that resident possums like to eat the leaves of.

• We tried supersonic antipest devices. Absolutely no effect.
• There are sprays which claim they keep the possums off, that work for a few days but as soon as there’s rain or dew, they have to be re-applied.
• There are those who leave out food.

Denise says she leaves a plate of food out for them. She buys buy cheap fruit an vegs for my lot and a slice of stale biscuits and bread, , they love it and leave my plants alone, they love watermelon but not rockmelon.

She goes on to say “i have 7 coming and going ,never have they eaten any of my plants, they know where i put food out, i never had them not eat what i put out only the rockmelon.

You would think one would out of 7, and some are 3rd generation coming ,

We have possum boxes out also in trees,

Ringtail Possum and Possum Box

They eat my bird seed, chook food and cat food dry if i forget it out on balcony.

Denise always leaves water out also, the ringtails eat the berries on lilly pilly but she hardly sees them they are so quiet.

• Leaving the best suggestion to last is from Mo in Batemans Bay, she writes
•  “I want to share with you a fantastic night pest deterrent - mainly possums but it may work also with rats.
• We tried many other deterrents for 2 years with little to no success.
• There are so many poor products and they don't live up to the hype.!
• We've had a serious issue with possums and as we live adjacent to bush, catching them is unrealistic as new families just move right in!
• I came to the conclusion that the alternating flashing of SOLAR string Christmas lights would probably be very annoying to the lovely little protected critters : as they are nocturnal and shun lights!
• And to their delight, it IS !
• They cost nothing to run, being SOLAR!
• Each string is 20m long. They sell them for around $20.

Charge each solar panel up as directed first before turning on to the combination setting (7 sequences include 'waves, slow-go, chasing/flashing. slow fade, twinkle flash, and steady on')

Great hisses of disapproval from our possum terrorists for a few nights and since, nothing !!

A good 12 weeks later and my roses are growing again and climbers have started to recover.

We tied the lights along the top rails of a fenced off garden designed first to just keep out the wallabies. (Little did we know then about the possums!)

We had landscapers cut 3 terraces into our very steep block at the rear, connected by wide steps.

If fence tops are not applicable to you, solar lights could be strung across tops of stakes, or just through the affected areas of your garden.

Our garden has 100's of roses, and includes an orchard, vegetable and edibles. All are now thriving !

We use LYTWORX LED 8 function solar lights. Rectangular box. Order them in if they are out? Bunnings was our source.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Federation Style Gardens.

Federation architecture is the architectural style in Australia that was mostly seen from around 1890 to 1915.
Most listeners would know that the name refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia.

Gardens used to be much bigger than they are today and during the evolution of the Federation garden, there were probably more plants available to buy than there are today.
Let’s find out what this style has to offer.

I'm talking with Danielle Collier from Artistic Horticulture.

Federation architecture embraced Australiana themes and of course the verandah.
Features might include stylised images of the waratah, flannel flower or Queensland Firewheel tree.

Popular Federation Garden plants were:

• Aspidistra Agapanthus, Buxus hedges, Fruit trees, Hellebores, Hydrangeas, Ivy,
• Palms, Pelargoniums, Quince, Roses, Succulents and cacti, Wisteria.
• Gardens also included themes such as succulent, cacti or orchid gardens.

In the garden also there was a change from evergreen to deciduous trees such as jacaranda, flowering plum and peppercorn.

If you have any questions either for me Danielle why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

TALKING FLOWERS

 Hypericum perforatum: St John's Wort

Hypericum, is derived from a Greek word meaning "over an apparition."

 Did you know that the Anglo-Saxon word "wort" means "medicinal herb." ?

Common St. John's Worts are a creeping rhizome that spread quickly.

Grow to 1 metre high with translucent leaves. Small oil glands are present in leaves, making them appear perforated.,

• Hypericum berries are used as a filler in cut flower arrangements to add contrast. Be sure to ask for some if they take your fancy.
• Ms Hypericum is a waterholic because of the woody stem, so make sure the water stays topped up in the vase.
• Lasts for up to 8 days in the vase.

• The entire plant, particularly its round black seeds gives off a slight turpentine-like odour.

This flower is often associated with cheerfulness and inspiration. 

Hypericum may also be given to those starting new paths in their life.

I'm talking with florist Mercedes Sarmini from flowers

 Recorded live during broadcast of Real World Gardener on 13th March 2019

Soap Making and Tomato Problems Plus a Little Garden Style

We’re making our own soap on the Good Earth segment, finding out how to control fungal problems on tomatoes, finding out what causes our tomato plants look terrible as Summer draws to a close in vegetable heroes, aa new series on garden styles in Design Elements and an encore of the Birds Nest Fern in Plant of the Week

THE GOOD EARTH

Making Your Own Natural Soap

Soap making is an ancient art, but did you know that you can make your own soap at home?
Soap making is an art form where the potential ingredient combinations are practically endless.
Homemade soaps use natural skin-nourishing components such as Almond Oil, Grape-Seed Oil, Macadamia Oil or Margaret's favourite is Coconut Oil.

 These handcrafted soaps are enriched with vitamins, minerals, and beneficial oils that won’t’ dry out your skin like store-bought soaps have a tendency to do. 

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at making soap, listen to this.
I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska from www.mosshouse.com.au 

There are so many dried herbs that you can use to infuse your own soap with.
Lemon Verbena, Rosemary, Thyme are just a few that you can start with.
Steep the herbs in your favourite oil for several weeks and then strain off.
There are a few critical steps you need to watch for such as watching the temperature of the caustic soda and only putting the soda into the oil and not the other way around.

The recipe is important so go to Margaret’s blog to check it here:Making Natural Soap

This is an extract from Margaret's web page on making soap

Recipe ingredients for a soap made from olive oil (this is the “cold” soapmaking process):

• 1000 grams olive oil (plain or scented with garden plants – see the link above)
• 135 grams caustic soda crystals. If you want more moisturising soap, add 5% less
• 380 grams water (= 38% of oil weight)

If you have any questions either for me or for Margaret, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

This weeks it’s what’s going wrong with those tomato plants?

Not so much about how grow your tomatoes, but more about what might have gone wrong with them.

It’s a very big topic about which books have been written and which can’t be all covered in a short segment but the main tomato problems will be dealt with here.

I’m assuming you’ve put some tomatoes plants in about September and now you’re getting fruit ripening on your tomato vine.

Let’s start with some problems with hot weather.

We’ve had a few very hot days and tomatoes don’t like really hot and dry conditions.

They actually ‘close down’ lose moisture and droop.

By ‘close down’ I mean the process of respiration and transpiration-you know when plants exchange gases and lose water through their leaves.

By shutting down those pores or stomata in the leaves, the plant is making sure that no more water is lost.

Sun Scald of Tomato

• If you’ve got whitish, yellow patches on the skin of your fruit, then your tomatoes got too much sun and are sunburnt.
• Probably because they didn’t have enough leaves to protect them.
• Why not try putting up a shade umbrella over your veggie patch for those really hot days of over 29⁰ degrees  as a quick fix.
• Some gardeners put a permanent 50% shade cloth over their veggie beds during the summer months.
• If the tomatoes are sunburnt, pick them off now because they’re likely to rot.
• The yellow patches on the fruits, if not caused by sunburn can also be tomato mosaic virus or tobacco mosaic virus.
• What this virus looks like when your plant has it you’ll see light or dark green or bright yellow patches (often called mottling) on the leaves.
• The leaves also look like they’ve been scrunched up or puckered, the plant is stunted and there’s also the patches of yellow on the fruit.
• Cross- infection can occur through plants touching each other or through pruning, tying and transplanting.
• How to prevent this next time is by controlling weeds, rotating your crops,  and always disinfectng your secateurs with methylated spirits when you’re pruning.
• Finally  get rid of infected plants.
• Also, DON’T SMOKE near your tomato plants!

Because we’ve had really humid weather, it’s likely that you’ve got powdery mildew all over your tomato plants.

Powdery mildew on tomato leaves/

• Powdery mildew starts on the biggest or mature leaves and looks like a brown spot in the centre of the leaf surrounded by yellow area.
• The leaf starts to die very quickly and pretty soon, almost overnight, the leaves have shrivelled up.
• Cut them off as soon as you notice that they’re going yellow, and spray the leaves with a seaweed solution.
• Water your plants early in the day so that there isn’t water on the leaves overnight. You can also use a sulphur based fungicide. Or you can use a bi-carbonate of soda spray on you tomatoes as a general fungicide.
• 3 teaspoons bi carbonate of soda, 40mls or 2 ½ tablespoons of any horticultural oil and mix with 4 litres of water.
• Spray all over the leaves and stems, including the undersides.
• Next year, don’t plant your tomatoes there because you’ll get that problem again-the spores stay in the soil.

This fungicide and Eco Carb containing  potassium carbonate can also be effective on Fusarium wilt.

• This starts off as yellowing of oldest leaves on your tomato plant then turning brown, almost overnight and drying up but remaining attached to the plant.
• After it begins it progresses upward, often with yellowing on one side of leaf or branch.
• The disease can attack at any stage in a tomato plant’s growth, but symptoms are most common right after tomato blossoms appear.
• The fungus favours temperatures between 21º-32ºC and wet weather, which allows it to spread more easily.
• Plants in poorly drained soil are more susceptible to infection than those in well-drained soil.
• Wet soil allows the fungus to multiply and move up through the tomato plant’s water-conducting tissue.
• This is not an easy disease to fix.

Some gardeners might have issues with fruit fly larvae in the fruit.

Some varieties of tomatoes that I’ve been growing Russian Red and Russian Brown tomato aren’t always affected by fruit fly.

The same with cherry tomatoes because they seem to have slight thicker skin which the fruit fly avoids piercing sometimes but not always.

You can buy fruit fly netting to put all over your plant or just bags that fit over the bunches of fruit.

The bags are white and have minute breathing holes-sort of like a very sheer papery material.

Otherwise there is trap, lures and natural sprays that you can buy containing Spinosad, that you can use for next year.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Garden Styles: Introduction to Federation, Modern, Formal and French ProvincialStyles of Gardens.

How well do you know your garden history in Australia?
For example when did the Federation garden style begin and end and when did the Modern garden style begin and end?

What were the components of the Federation style?

Let’s find out a little bit about each style.
I'm talking with Danielle Collier from Artistic Horticulture

Garden styles have a long history, much longer that we might think.

Formal gardens for example have their origins in Persia all those centuries ago.
What does it mean for us gardeners?
Well we can embrace a style for our gardens which will in the end give us immense satisfaction.

For Federation gardens, built features such as fountains and gazebos were important. (Pictured)

If you have any questions either for me Danielle why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

I'm talking with Garden Designer and Horticulturist, Danielle Collier, from Artistic Horticulture

Banksias, Fennel and Birds Nest Ferns Plus a Little Frangipani

Find out growing tips when I talk to the President of the Frangipani Society of Australia in part 2. Growing a veggie that’s has a little aniseed flavour in vegetable heroes, great for shade in Plant of the Week and an Australian favourite native in the Talking Flower segment.

Frangipani Culture part 2

Last week I had part 1 of the interview with the President of the Frangipani Society of Australia.
Anthony had so much to say it was necessary to split it over two weeks.
In this part, you’ll discover quite a few extra tips and growing frangi’s as they’re known by members, and how to get them to flower well.

Let’s find out. I'm talking with Anthony Grassi from the Frangipani Society of Australia.

General Tips:

Frangi's can be transplanted in winter when they're dormant.

Reduce the canopy by 50% because you will have to reduce the root system prior to moving the tree.

Frangipani seeds last 5-6 years but some can last upwards of 10 years before planting.

Sow the Frangi seed in seed-raising mix and stand the seed up. The fat end goes in first.

In warm temperate districts, the frangipani will flower 2-3 years after sowing the seed. In the sub-tropics it may be as little as one year.

Frangipani rubra flowers photo M. Cannon

Colder climates will take around 5 years or more.
They now are a FB society so you can join their FB page, but if you join the society, you get to also join the financial members FB page as well as receive a lovely calendar, CD and tips on how to grow the best Frangipanis ever.

If you have any questions either for me or for Margaret, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES:

Florence Fennel Foeniculum vulgare dulce and var. azoricum

Did I really mean Florence Fennel?

You might think that I’m trying to get you to grow that roadside weed that is found all over Australia.

No, I’m talking about the culinary fennel.

That other fennel was probably the Fennel  mentioned in the seed  inventory list brought out to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788.

Fennel is a member of the Apiaceae family, which include parsley, caraway, dill, cumin, anise and carrot.

Did you know that in Ancient Greece fennel juice was used as an effective cure for poor eyesight, night blindness and cataract?

In medieval Europe, fennel and St John's wort were used together to ward off evil.

• The real fennel (Florence fennel Foeniculum vulgare Azoricum Group;) is a cultivar group with a sort of bulb at the base that you can use in cooking, salads and stir fries.
• Also the real fennel or Florence Fennel has a much milder anise-like flavour, than wild Fennel and is more aromatic and sweeter.

Where  and When to grow it?

• This plant is best in hot, dry climates but will grow in practically all climates of Australia. Knowing when to sow the seeds is the key.
• Timing is crucial: if sown too early, cold can cause bolting; if sown too late, plants won't fatten up before the winter
• Now is ideal, when the temperature is stable, day length is consistent and there's at least 16 weeks for bulbs to develop.
• In sub-tropical areas, you can plant or sow seeds from March until May, in temperate zones, from February until May, in cool temperate zones, you have from February until about mid- March, and for cold or mountain districts, it was February then not again until November/December unless you have a greenhouse.
• For arid areas you have March and April and again in July.
• Should you have a soil thermometer, Fennel is best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C  and as a general rule of thumb, soil temperatures are around a few degrees cooler than the current air temperature.

Likes and Dislikes of Florence Fennel

A perennial that’s rather stocky and really only grows to about 60cm

• It resents disturbance and responds to any shock by bolting: so you’ll only get feathery fronds and flowers, but no swollen stems.
• Because the bulb grows only partially below ground, and mostly above ground it suits those districts with heavy soils. Otherwise, you can grow it in a pot-by itself.
• Florence Fennel isn’t too fussy with soils as long as the veggie bed, or garden bed is well drained as has compost or decayed animal manure dug in, In cool temperate districts cut back the plant to about 10cm above the ground as winter draws nearer.
• Fennel likes a well-drained soil, fertile from having been manured the previous year.
• When planting your Florence Fennel seeds –sow them about  5mm deep, and unless you’ve got a lot of space, you don’t need more than 2 or 3 because they need spacing of about 30cm.
• Never let the soil dry out because water is needed for germination, steady growth and swelling.
• If roots become visible or plants seem unsteady, earth them up to stabilise them.
• This will help make bulbs white and tender and, later, exclude frost.
  

Looking After Florence

• After about 6 weeks you can hill out the soil around the emerging bulb so that, like Celery, the base stays white and is more tender than if you allow the sunlight to turn it green.
• Hilling up is just mounding soil or mulch around the base of the plant.
• You can make sleeves out of newspapers or use bottomless milk cartons to keep the hilled soil from getting into the leaves of the Fennel plant.
• Plants take several months to mature that’s 3-4 months after sowing.

When they look big enough to eat use a garden fork to loosen the roots and cut the bulb off about 2.5cm above the ground.

This way you’ll get more feathery shoots that can be used as celery/dill-flavoured seasoning in the kitchen.

 The bulb is best sweet, ripe and fresh (try it raw in salads) but it will also keep for several weeks in a cool, dry place.

You can get root cuttings from plants that have been lifted during spring, so any if you attend a garden club, ask if any members have this plant.

There are plenty of seed suppliers in Australia that have Florence Fennel Seeds.

Why is it good for you?

The fennel bulb is also an excellent source of Vitamin C

Did you know that if you don’t get enough Vitamin C that’s linked to the increase in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis?

 Fennel also has folate (Vitamin B), fibre and potassium.

One cup of fennel has 10.8 per cent of the daily fibre intake, 5.9 per cent of the daily folate and 10.3 per cent of the daily potassium.

 An advantage of growing Florence fennel are that it attracts parasitic wasps and very small Praying Mantises.

It’s free of pests and it looks great and the Fennel bulb is delicious baked, too.

AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

PLANT OF THE WEEK

 NEW  Birds Nest Ferns

• Asplenium nidus is an epiphytic species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae, native to tropical southeastern Asia, eastern Australia, Hawaii, Polynesia, Christmas Island, India, and eastern Africa.

Ferns are great for shady places in the garden where not many flowering plants will go.
But do you think of ferns as a tad boring?
They’re just green right?
Wrong. Ferns come in all shapes and sizes, with so many different frond shapes and a little variation in colour as well.
But here’s a fern that’s traditionally too big to consider for indoors unless you have a conservatory, now available in a dwarf form too.
Let’s find out why we should grow it.
I'm talking with Jeremy Critchley owner of the www.thegreengallery.com.au

Asplenium nidus 'Crispy Wave'

Jeremy grows a lot of birds nest ferns in different frond shapes and sizes.

Some of these are dwarfish and can be used as indoor plants.

Why not look out for these in your local nursery or garden centre.

Asplenium 'Crispy Wave' or Asplenium' Chrissie' and Asplenium 'Victoria.'


If you have any questions either for me Jeremy why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

TALKING FLOWERS

Banksia species

Australia isn't overwhelmed with different types of Banksias.

Banksia is a genus of only around 173 species in the plant family Proteaceae.

All but one occur naturally only in Australia.

Breeders have hybridised many more, think Banksia 'Birthday Candles.'

The flower heads are made up of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of tiny individual flowers grouped together in pairs. 

The colour of the flower heads appear very similar across many species. 

Think a honey coloured brown with some red.

Banksias are great for nectar feeding birds because they flower over autumn and winter when food is scarce for them.

The fruits of banksias (called follicles) are hard and woody and are often grouped together to resemble cones. they're not cones of course because Bankias aren't conifers.

In many species the fruits won't open until they have been burnt or completely dried out.

• An easy way to release seed is to place the 'cone' in an oven at 120°­140° C for about an hour. 
• The follicles then open and the seeds can be removed with tweezers. Two black winged seeds are usually found in each follicle.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini www.flowersbymercedes.com.au about Banksias as a cut flower.